Pope Francis will visit Azerbaijan and Georgia in the autumn, the Vatican said on 9 April, one day after combatants in Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to cease fighting that has killed dozens in the past week.

Azerbaijan’s military and Armenian-backed separatists were locked in shelling and artillery strikes for four days over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, stoking fears of all-out war.

The Vatican did not mention the conflict as it announced the trip scheduled from 30 September to 2 October.

There are very few Roman Catholics in either country. Azerbaijan is about 95% Muslim while over 80% of Georgians are Eastern Orthodox Christians. Azerbaijan is often described by analysts as the most secularist Muslim country.

The Vatican announced last month Francis’s June 24-26 visit to Armenia, where again very few Catholics live and over 90% of the population are Oriental Orthodox Christians.

The EU has been rather invisible in the diplomatic efforts to avoid an escalation. As a result, Russia has raised its profile as mediator, although it has a strong bias for its ally Armenia.

Russia staked out its claim yesterday (7 April) to be the lead player in brokering a settlement to the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, a role it hopes will enhance its clout in a region where it competes for influence with Washington.